Therapist effects on disparities experienced by minorities receiving services for mental illness

Objectives: The authors examine if some of the reason clients from racial and ethnic minority groups experience outcome disparities is explained by their therapists. Method: Data from 98 clients (19% minority) and 14 therapists at two community mental health agencies where clients from racial and ethnic minority groups were experiencing outcome disparities were analyzed using hierarchical linear modeling with treatment outcomes at Level 1, client factors at Level 2, and therapists at Level 3. Results: There were substantial therapist effects that moderated the relationship between clients' race and treatment outcomes (outcome disparities). Therapists accounted for 28.7% of the variability in outcome disparities. Conclusions: Therapists are linked to outcome disparities and appear to play a substantial role in why disparities occur.